With Clinton in White House Race
On the heels of a burst of successful fund-raising,
Democratic 2008 presidential hopeful Sen.
Barack Obama has pulled even with frontrunner
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, according to recent-
ly released polls.
Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois, has
steadily gained on Clinton, a veteran on the
national political scene, over the last month and
each now polled 32 percent among likely
Democratic voters, the survey by Rasmussen
Reports found. Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina was third in
the poll with 17 percent.
The survey was the latest sign the former first lady, who now represents
New York in the Senate, will have a tough fight ahead to win the
Democratic nomination.
This week, Obama outlined a foreign policy agenda he said would dou-
ble U.S. foreign aid to improve living conditions around the world and
reduce the appeal of terrorism.

AKAs to Provide Free Computer

Training on Ten College Campuses
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority has unveiled a model program at colleges
and universities nationwide where technological skills will be taught free
of charge to residents in communities adjacent to the schools. The pro-
gram is part of AKA's resolve to give African Americans high-end skill
sets so they will be more competitive in the workplace-and can improve
their economic standing. The sorority will work with higher education
institutions and other student groups to develop an exemplary model
undergraduate access and training program that serves the community
and becomes part of the central activities of the institution.
It will be administered by undergraduates at each college/university
that has an undergraduate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. It is
part of the sorority's International Program and is titled, "Undergraduate
Signature Program: Economic Educational Advancement through
Technology." The program incorporates traditional and non-traditional
approaches with technology as its cornerstone

Black Family Channel to Close Doors
After eight years, Atlanta-based Black Family Channel will shut down
operations April 30, according to sources close to the network.
The 16 million-subscriber network -- co-owned by lawyer Willie Gary,
former baseball star Cecil Fielder, entertainer Marlon Jackson, cable vet-
eran Alvin James and former heavyweight boxing champ Evander
Holyfield -- offered African-American targeted, family friendly pro-
gramming, overseen by actor/producer Robert Townsend.
Despite its star power and its unique positioning -- along with BET and
TV One -- as a national network targeting African-American audiences,
the network was unable to secure significant cable and satellite distribu-
tion to remain in business, according to sources.
Gospel Music Channel is negotiating with BFC to take over its carriage
deals with cable operators, according to sources close to both networks.
Gospel executives declined comment.

Study Finds that Black Females are

Least Likely to Date Interracially
According to researchers and a recent online poll, African American
females are the social group least likely to date outside of their particular
racial group.
The results of a "Mate Preferences" survey published in the New York
Times found that women in general are less likely than men to seek dat-
ing or marriage relationships with members of other racial groups. But
this reluctance seems especially true of Black women. The survey's
author John Tiemey concluded, "It's not that white men are more reluc-
tant to date non-whites, it's that black women are less willing to date
someone of another race."
This latest survey appears to confirm an August 2004 "Racial
Preferences in Dating" study which found that with the exception of
Asians, "women of all races exhibit strong same-race preferences." Both
Black and white males were more willing to date across racial lines.

NYPD Officers File Federal Lawsuit

on Sargeant For Calling them 'Ho's'
New York Three female police officers filed a federal lawsuit against
the New York Police Department this week, saying they were called
"nappy-headed hos" inside their Brooklyn precinct by other officers.
That's when police said Sgt. Carlos Mateo of the 70th Precinct was
transferred and stripped of his supervisory duties for an April 15 incident.
During roll call, he is accused of telling officers Tronnette Jackson, Maria
Gomez and Karen Nelson, "Stand up, hos."
At that point, Officer Ralph Montanez spoke up.
"They're not just hos," Montanez said, according to the plaintiff's
lawyers. "They're nappy-headed hos." Mateo and Montanez, who has
also been transferred, are Hispanic, as is Gomez, while Jackson and
Nelson are black.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the use of such insults is "unac-
ceptable under any circumstance, and even more egregious when it
comes from individuals in positions of authority."

Volume 21 No. 6 Jacksonville, Florida April 26 May 2, 2007

Education Equals Higher Chance of Abuse for Black Women

By. Charreah Jackson
NNPA Special Correspondent
As students around the country
prepare for graduation, Black
women who walk across the stage
and receive college degrees become
145 times more likely to suffer sex-
ual, domestic or other abuse than

those who did not finish high
school, according to a recent study.
"When a woman makes more
money, it is already known she is at
a higher risk for abuse. What I had
not expected was the intensity of
my findings," says University of
Arkansas assistant professor

Ernest Wilford Aims to be

Not Your Ordinary Jaguar

Hundreds gathered to watch
Ernest Wilford, wide receiver of the
Jacksonville Jaguars, introduce his
E. Wil Foundation last week. The
announcement was made during the
2nd Ernest Wilford Golf Classic.
Wilford, joined by his wife
Denise, read the mission statement
of the foundation, "WilPower!
Building self-esteem and character
in future leaders through exposure
to athletic, cultural, and academic
opportunities." The foundation
plans to expose children to cultural
activities andprovide financial sup-
port for sports and educational
endeavors.
"It's something I wanted to do for
a long time," said Wilford.

"Children are our future, and I
believe that it is important for us to
provide them with life opportuni-
ties that build character in order to
prepare them for the future."
Wilford stands behind his belief in
children by sponsoring many
events to give back to the commu-
nity, not only through the Golf
Classic, but also through sponsor-
ing events such as The Great Easter
Egg Event of 2007.
The Hester Group, LLC designed
the logo for the foundation.
"We believe in Ernest's vision and
were honored that he selected us to
bring his vision to life," said Hester
Clark, President of the Hester
Group.

Kameri Christy-McMullin. "It
shocked me to find a number like
145."
Christy-McMullin analyzed data
from the 1999 U.S. Census and the
U.S. Bureau of Justice on economic
resources, education, race and
abuse in her dissertation study pub-

lished last year.
The study included data compiled
from more than 55,000 Black,
White and Hispanic women and
took two years to complete. Of the
Black women, eight percent had
college degrees leading Christy-
Continued on page 3

ing a part in the ownership.
The Rev. Al Sharpton announced
the next steps in his battle against
rap music and will take his fight
into various corporations' board-
rooms, by buying stock in compa-
nies that promote the music.
Sharpton and his National Action
Network are planning on purchas-
ing stock in various companies,
including Time Warner and
Universal Music Group, and will
then use his right to attend share-
holder meetings, where he will
voice his opinion on lyrics deemed
raunchy and sexist.
"Some of these stockholders have
no idea that they own stock in a par-
ent company that owns companies
calling them b**ches and ho's,"
Sharpton told The New York Post.
The tactic is the same strategy
that C. Delores Tucker used in 1995
Tucker was an outspoken criticism
of "gangsta rap."
She bought stock in Time Warner
and attended shareholder meetings,
where she read the lyrics to various
albums marketed and sold by

Interscope, which was eventually
dropped from Time Warner's distri-
bution system, because of releases
by Death Row Records.
Sharpton will also lead a group of
women who will boycott the offices
of Sony, Time Warner and
Universal Music Group.
The announcement was made
during the National Action
Network's four-day conference,
which took place from Apr. 18-21.
Various politicians supported the
conference, including Senators
John Edwards, Hillary Clinton,
Howard Dean (DNC), NBC
Nightly News Anchor Brian
Williams, Governor Eliot Spitzer,
filmmaker Spike Lee, Governor
Bill Richardson, Fox News's Bill
O'Reilly and Presidential hopeful
Barack Obama, who addressed the
current fervor around Hip-Hop
music.
"We are all complicit...let's not
just single out the rappers," Obama
said, noting that he had heard offen-
sive words in many places other

than rap songs.
Universal Music Group withdrew
it's $15,000 contribution to
Sharpton's National Action
Network, after Sharpton decided it
was inappropriate to honor
Universal Music Group executive
and Island Def Jam CEO, Antonio
"L.A." Reid.
Sharpton, who had planned on
honoring Reid with the James
Brown Freedom Award prior to the
Don Imus controversy, changed his

mind and felt it was inappropriate
to bestow the award upon Reid.
Congressman Charles Rangel,
who recently introduced a bill in
Congress to reinstate the military
draft, is also among Sharpton's sup-
porters.
"I heard that someone in the
music industry threatened to take
back $15,000 they'd paid for a table
at this convention," told The New
York Post. "I said to Al, 'You'll have
$15,000 from me tomorrow."

Over 300 individuals attended the Annual fair Housing Symposium
sponsored by the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission. The theme
was "Fair Housing: It's Not an Option, It's the Law." Shown above is
facilitator Sharon Wright distributing materials to Aisha White who
was determined to attend the Annual Fair Housing Symposium even
after her babysitter flaked out.. The workshop on Mortgage Banking
explained mortgage rates, lenders, credit scores and information nec-
essary to become an informed borrower. The symposium was designed
to encourage networking, dialogue, and understanding and provide a
means of finding solutions to enable participants to improve their
chances to have unfettered access to safe, affordable and secure hous-
ing. The day long event was held at the Wyndham Hotel.

Sharpton Implements Phase 2 Against Explicit Music

Annual Fair Housing Symposium

Detailed How Anyone Can Buy a Home

snarpton's plan to eradicate the derogatory lyrics in music is by play-

- Mg~ Ppr' Fre Prs pri 2 ay2, 00

1Do You Walk The T Ir Jt Tal

Do You Walk The Talk, Or Just Talk?

Mutual trust is vital to networking
relationships, and there is no
quicker way to destroy it than by
failing to honor your commit-
ments. Understand that it is often difficult for people
to call upon others for information or assistance.
As often as we tell ourselves that networking is an
honorable and widespread method, there is always
that nagging little bit of insecurity about calling
upon someone else for help.
If the person you ask for help does not deliver it,
then you are unlikely to call upon that person again
or respond to his or her calls.
Remember that when someone in your network
calls upon you for help, it is probably ten times more

important to them than it is to you. So honor their
request and your commitment to the networking
relationship by showing integrity. Oh, and...
'Fess Up When You Mess Up!
You have to be a strong person to admit when you
have wronged someone else. And if you want to
maintain a strong network, you have to be able to
admit when you have overburdened a connection or
failed to fulfill your end of the networking agree-
ment.
So, a policy of admitting your errors will strength-
en your network. A policy of ignoring your errors
will result in your becoming a one-person network.
Bottom Line: Don't make promises you can't
keep, but keep the ones you make.

Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference

Opens Registration to College Students

Black Enterprise is offering a dis-
counted registration fee of $199 for
currently enrolled undergraduate
students to attend the 2007 Black
Enterprise Entrepreneurs
Conference
This year's conference will be
held May 9-12 at the Walt Disney
World Swan and Dolphin Resort in
Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It is
expected to draw approximately
1,500 of the nation's most notewor-
thy African American entrepre-
neurs, business leaders, and corpo-
rate executives.
The conference, now in its 12th

Sorting Out the 'Good' Debt from the 'Bad'

By Jason Alderman
You may have heard people refer
to "good debt" and "bad debt."
Ideally, we'd have no debt at all
because we'd be rich enough to
never need a loan. But few of us
belong to that exclusive club, so
sometimes we take on debt out of
necessity.
One key to achieving financial
stability is to minimize bad debt
wherever possible, while looking
for opportunities where so-called
good debt works to your advantage.
A simple distinction: Good debt can
help boost your credit rating or
allow you to buy something that
will increase in value over time,
while bad debt often fuels purchas-
ing items that are disposable,
unnecessary or that rapidly depreci-
ate in value.
Good debt might include:
Building credit history. One of
the best ways to build a strong cred-
it history is to show lenders that you
can pay off debt responsibly, possi-
bly by taking out a student loan to
finance your education, or by open-
ing a credit card account and using

it wisely. Lenders are more apt to
qualify you for a mortgage, car
loan, or other large debt if you've
demonstrated sound repayment
behavior, and they usually reserve
their best rates and terms for good-
risk candidates.
However, keep in mind that car-
rying excessive loans or high-limit
credit cards may harm your credit
rating because you could potential-
ly take on more debt than you'd be
able to pay back.
Investing in your future.
According to the U.S. Census
Bureau, high school graduates earn,
on average, $1.2 million over a life-
time, while someone with a bache-
lor's degree will average $2.1 mil-
lion nearly twice as much.
Escalating college costs sometimes
force young adults to enter the
workforce saddled with over-
whelming debt or cause their par-
ents to postpone saving for retire-
ment. Talk to a financial advisor or
high school guidance counselor
about scholarships, low-income
grants and financial assistance
options as early as possible.

Buying a home. Chances are,
once you pay off your mortgage
your home will be worth far more
than it originally cost. Plus, the
interest and mortgage points you
pay are tax-deductible, which low-
ers your taxes. Just make sure you
don't buy more house than you can
afford that includes mortgage pay-
ments insurance, property taxes,
utilities and repairs. (The same goes
for buying too much car.)
Bad debt. Fancy meals out,
excessive vacations, and unneces-
sary clothing or electronics all can
result in bad debt if you're not care-
ful. If you can't pay the bill in full
within a month or two, reexamine
whether it's a worthwhile expense,
particularly if you don't have an
emergency cushion of money in the
bank or are trying to save for a car
or home.
There are many warning signs
you may be carrying too much debt
- bills start piling up, you can bare-
ly afford minimum payments, using
one credit card to make payments
on others, etc. Practical Money
Skills for Life, a free personal

financial management site spon-
sored by Visa USA (www.practical-
moneyskills.com/debt), contains a
complete guide to debt manage-
ment, including calculators that
help you determine the true costs of
borrowing.
Bottom line: Used correctly, cer-
tain debt can work in your favor.
Just make sure you're managing the
"bad" debt so it doesn't manage
you.

year, will enable African American
undergraduates to attend education-
al sessions designed to encourage
entrepreneurship, get an essential
understanding of innovative leader-
ship, and establish long-term career
goals. Critical sessions for under-
graduates include How to Be Your
Own Boss; Creative Ways to
Finance Your Business;
Tomorrow's Technology; Big Hype,
Small Budget: Stretching Your
Marketing Dollars; Are You Ready
to Close a Big Deal?; The Elevator
Pitch Competition; and a much-
anticipated Town Hall Session
titled Fade to Black: Are Blacks in
Hollywood Getting Their Piece of

the Action?
Executives and personalities
speaking at the event include
Robert L Johnson, Chairman &
CEO of The RLJ Cos.; Earvin
"Magic" Johnson, CEO of Magic
Johnson Enterprises; Tracey
Edmonds, President & COO, Our
Stories Films; R. Donahue Peebles,
Founder, President & CEO of The
Peebles Corp; Nick Cannon, creator
and producer;"; Gerry Garvin, Host
of "Turn Up the Heat with G.
Garvin"; and Michael Eric Dyson,
Ph. D., popular speaker, author, and
social commentator.
For more information on the con-
ference call 800-209-7229.

Blacks Projected to Have Roughly $1

Trillion in Spending Power by 2010

According to data compiled
recently by essayist and retired
patent attorney Richard Everett,
African Americans are projected to
have spending power of $1 trillion
a year by 2010. That will be a sig-
nificant increase over the roughly
$800 billion Blacks are believed to
have spent in 2006.

The projection was part of a col-
lection of data Everett compiled to
showcase Black progress in
America over the last 40 years.
Among his other findings were that
revenues for Black-owned busi-
nesses reached $88.6 billion in
2002 up 24 percent from 1997 and
median Black household income
rose to $30,858 in 2005 up from
$25,642 in 1985.
Nevertheless, a whopping 24.9
percent of all Blacks are still offi-
cially classified as poor and critics
complain that despite its absolute
size, Black income is failing to cre-
ate Black wealth because it tends to
flow into Black communities and
right back out. The most recent
government figures (2002) show
the typical white household had
over 10 times as much accumulated
wealth (or net worth) as the typical
Black household. The median net
worth (assets minus liabilities) for
the typical white family was
$88,651 compared to $7,932 for

Quick Tips Reducing Insurance Costs
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is just a recipe for disaster. Don't do it. Instead of dropping expensive
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Insurance cost reduction involves an insurance review for home, car,
life and medical costs. Take a few minutes right now and ask for lower
rates from at least the two places listed below. You may be very surprised
at how much you can save. Even if you discover that you already have
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thing. A very smart thing to do.
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Home Insurance

April 26 May 2, 2007

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Summer Career Academies Offer Career Exploration

for Duval Ninth Graders During Month of June

Duval County Public Schools
(DCPS) and Florida Community
College at Jacksonville (FCCJ)
have partnered to help prepare
Jacksonville high-school students
for life after high school by offering
"Summer Career Academies," a
month-long exploration of career
and education opportunities.
Summer Career Academies will
meet weekdays June 4-June 29 to
explore seven career fields at FCCJ
campuses and centers from 8:30
a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Students who
will be in ninth grade in the 2007-
2008 school year can apply to learn
about careers in Automotive (FCCJ
Advanced Technology Center),
Aviation (FCCJ Aviation Center of
Excellence), Business (Kent
Campus), Construction (Downtown
Campus and at FCCJ Nassau
Center in Yulee), Health (North
Campus), Multimedia (South
Campus) and Robotics (Deerwood

Center). Scholarships are available
for applicants accepted to the pro-
gram valued at more than $700.
Students will be part of fun, hands-
on activities and academics, gain-
ing professional skills in a college
setting. Emphasis is on mathemat-
ics and reading skills Parents and
students are encouraged to visit
www.fccj.edu/summeracademies to
complete admission applications as
soon as possible and submit as
directed via fax or postal mail.
Academies include: The Health
Summer Academy This challeng-
ing and exciting academy will
engage students with direct, practi-
cal experience in the health field.
For more information call 904-766-
6586; Fax 904-713-4859.
Dream and Build Summer
Academy Do you want to own
your own business and be your own
boss? For more information, call
904-361-6353; Fax 904-632-3093

for Downtown Campus or 904-548-
.4481; Fax 904-548-4426 for
Nassau Center.
Performance Plus! Automotive
Summer Academy Do you love
cars? Do you want to know more
about how they work? For more
information call 904-361-6353; Fax
904-632-3093.
M.A.R.S. (Mastering Arithmetic
and Reading) for Robotics Summer
Academy Discover how the sci-
entists at NASA used math and
reading skills to put the Land Rover
on Mars. For more information call
904-646-2061; Fax 904-646-2078.
T.R.U.M.P. (Teaching Real World
Understanding of Money and
Power) Business Summer Academy
This academy will help open doors
to a wealth of opportunities.
For more information call 904-
381-3502; Fax 904-318-3662.
Check the website for a complete
list of academies being offered.

Shown above is an artist's rendering of the renovated studio.

City Unveils Plan to Restore

Historic Black Movie Studio

The City of Jacksonville recently
unveiled plans to renovate Norman
Studios an historic silent film studio
complex in the heart of Old
Arlington known for bringing
Black life to the film screen.
"Norman Studios is a treasure,"
said Peyton, "and it's a source of
pride for Jacksonville because of its
significant role in film history and

Educated Women Not So Smart When It Comes to Choosing Mates

Continued from front
Christy-McMullin to conclude
those who were educated found lit-
tle comfort in society when they
were abused.
"Our society doesn't do a good
job of embracing and integrating
different groups into the workforce
and education," she said.
"Stereotypes of African-American
women feeds to a lack of support so
they have less resources as well in
situations like abuse."
Ninety percent of the patients at
Adolescent and Family Counseling
Specialists in Silver Spring, Md.,
the private practice of Shane
Perrault, Ph.D. are Black. Many of
his patients are college educated
women in their 20s and early 30s.
"A lot of the abuse I encounter is
emotional abuse and not as much
physical," Perrault says.
"Sometimes they don't recognize
what they are going through as
abuse and I clearly see it as abuse."
In the U.S. Census data Christy-
McMullin studied, women were
asked specific questions, like if they
had been hit or choked, instead of

being asked right out if they were
abused. From that information they
were categorized of whether
encountering 41 different abusive
behaviors including sexual, emo-
tional and physical.
One reason offered for the major
increase of the likelihood of col-
lege-educated Black women being
abused sexually, among others, is
the backlash theory. It states that as
women become more successful
outside of the home, men become
abusive due to resentment for their
move outside of the traditional roles
of women.
Tia Canty, a 2003 graduate of the
College of Charleston with a degree
in chemistry and Atlanta lab techni-
cian says her degree and demeanor
have seemed threatening to men.
"I've found some men are intimi-
dated by very opinionated woman
that tell you exactly how you
feel,"D she said. "The second I say
chemistry I see how they look at
me."O
Christy-McMullin says as
women take on more leadership
roles the backlash theory will hold

less relevance. Therefore, she
stresses that the key to behavior
reform is better education becom-
ing accessible to all classes and
races.
Another resolution in the Black
community will be greater commu-
nication about domestic violence
and other abuses. The issue of
abuse is often not discussed in the
Black community, which Perrault
says is the first step to lowering the
abuse rates for educated Black
women and all women.
The fight for respect, she not be
only left up to the women, says
Christy-McMullin.
"Men need to step up to the
plate,"] she says. "When they start
challenging each other as we have
seen in other countries, and holding
each other accountable we will see
big changes."
Abuse of women, Black and
White, has a long history through-
out the ages, Perrault points out,
therefore, with or without a degree,
women should never blame them-
selves.
"Before you had Women's

you can vote early starting April 30 through May 13, 2007
in DUVAL COUNTY at the following sites:

Suffrage, you had abuse,"] Perrault
says. "This problem stems way
back so a woman getting a degree is
not the problem. The problem is
abusive behavior of their partners,
not the women."
Charreah Jackson is a writer for
the Capstone News Service.

Legal Notice

culture. In addition, this site is
located in one of the Seeds of
Change pilot neighborhoods. The
Seeds initiative places a heavy
emphasis on improving quality of
life, and this project tracks that
objective."
Richard Norman grew up in
Jacksonville and began his film-
making career in 1912. In 1920, he
bought bankrupt Eagle Studios and
turned the operation into a success-
ful silent film production house.
Between 1920 and 1928,
Norman's company made six fea-
ture films and scores of shorts. The
Flying Ace (1926), the only
Norman film that survives today,
was shot at Norman Studios. One
print resides at the Black Film
Center and another is at the Library

of Congress.
Norman's work was unique
because the white film producer
made movies with all-black casts
and crews. What's more, the actors
portrayed positive images of
African-Americans instead of fol-
lowing the prevalent tradition of the
day, which featured them in roles
that were often demeaning.
Mr. Norman retired in 1952 and
died in 1961. His wife, Gloria,
operated a dance studio at the site
until 1976, when she sold the prop-
erty.
The movement to help the city
acquire the dilapidated studio com-
plex began in 1999, with the forma-
tion of a partnership of neighbor-
hood activists, city planners and
civic leaders. In 2002, the city
completed purchase four of the
complex buildings for $260,000.
The property consists of a produc-
tion building, a generator building,
a small cottage for visiting actors
and a prop shed.
Since acquisition, the city has
installed an alarm system and secu-
rity lighting and made some tempo-
rary emergency roofing repairs.
The studio complex is under con-
sideration by the National Park
Service as a National Historic
Landmark.
The project has been funded
through grants from the State of
Florida and the National Trust for
Historic Preservation with match-
ing dollars from the City of
Jacksonville, at a total of $681,000.

Legal Notice

I1 I

Notice from Miami-Dade County Circuit Court

ATTENTION: Florida Smokers and Survivors

of lorida Smokers

The Engle Class Action was filed in 1994 and went to trial against the tobacco industry in
July, 1998. HOWARD A. ENGLE, M.D., ETAL. (Plaintiffs) vs. R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO
CO., PHILIP MORRIS INC., BROWN & WILLIAMSON TOBACCO CORP. Individually
and as Successor to AMERICAN TOBACCO CO., LORILLARD TOBACCO CO.,
LORILLARD, INC., LIGGETT GROUP, INC., BROOKE GROUP HOLDING INC. f/k/a
BROOKE GROUP LTD., INC., COUNCIL FOR TOBACCO RESEARCH U.S.A. and
TOBACCO INSTITUTE (Defendants). (Case No. 94-08273 CA (22) Dade County Circuit
Court). After a two year trial and multiple appeals, the Florida Supreme Court has made the
following determinations that may affect your rights:

CLASS MEMBERS HAVE ONE YEAR FROM JANUARY 11, 2007 TO FILE INDI-
VIDUAL LAWSUITS FOR COMPENSATORY AND PUNITIVE DAMAGES BASED
ON BINDING FINDINGS FROM THE ENGLE TRIAL.

The Florida Supreme Court concluded that continued class action treatment is not feasible
for the remaining issues, (remaining issues being: individual legal causation, apportionment
of fault among the defendants, comparative fault, and damages). The parties disagree about
the issues remaining to be decided.
Class members can choose to file individual actions with the Court-approved findings set
forth below given binding effect in any subsequent action between individual class members
and the defendants:

Common Liability Findings:
(i) Nicotine in cigarettes is addictive; (ii) the defendants placed cigarettes on the market
that were defective and unreasonably dangerous; (iii) defendants concealed or omitted material
information not otherwise known or available knowing that the material was false or misleading
or failed to disclose a material fact concerning the health effects or addictive nature of smoking
cigarettes or both; (iv) defendants agreed to conceal or omit information regarding the health
effects of cigarettes or their addictive nature with the intention that smokers and the public
would rely on this information to their detriment; (v) all defendants sold or supplied cigarettes
that were defective; (vi) all defendants sold or supplied cigarettes that, at the time of sale or
supply, did not conform to representations of fact made by said defendants; and (vii) all
defendants were negligent. These findings in favor of the Engle Class can stand.

THE CUT-OFF DATE FOR CLASS MEMBERSHIP IS NOVEMBER 21,1996.

Class definition: All Florida citizens and residents, and their survivors, who have suffered,
presently suffer or who have died from disease and medical conditions caused by their addiction
to cigarettes that contain nicotine. The Class shall specifically exclude officers, directors and
agents of the Defendants.
The Florida Supreme Court cut-off date for class membership is November 21, 1996: A
smoking-related disease or medical condition must have first manifested itself on or before
November 21, 1996.

ANY CLASS MEMBER WHO WISHES TO FILE AN INDIVIDUAL LAWSUIT
SHOULD GET AN ATTORNEY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Class members should select an attorney of their choice or may request from Class Counsel
a list of Florida Attorneys who are handling individual lawsuits.

BY ORDER OF JUDGE DAVID C. MILLER,
CIRCUIT COURT OF THE ELEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT IN AND FOR MIAMI-
DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA.
Dated March 6, 2007.

Ms. Perry's Free Press Page 3

Anrl 26;-Mav 2. 2007

April 26-May 2, 2007

Page 4 Ms. Perry's Free Press

Jacksonville Becoming a Tale of Two African American Communities

Black Enterprise Magazine's
May edition features its "Top 10
Cities for Blacks to Work, Live and
Play." And guess who made the list,
yeah I know, most of you have
heard that little old Jacksonville,
Florida made the cut.
We made the ten spot, and of
course that's been the buzz about
town. Well, it's been the buzz
amongst some in the African
American community.
Most of the buzz is of disbelief.
Not Jacksonville, they must be
wrong, most are saying. They obvi-
ously got bad information is what
others have said. So what do I say?
I think that the magazine proba-
bly got it right. And before you
slam your paper down let me
explain why I say this.
Before I even get to the quantita-
tive method that was used to create
the list, you must realize
Jacksonville has a large black mid-
dle class and decent size African
American upper middle class.
There are many blacks that are
business owners and many hold
key governmental and private sec-
tor positions. I would venture to
guess that if you simply started a
list of blacks who are at a senior
management level or higher with
their prospective organizations,
that list would be significant.
The Black Enterprise ranking
revealed that there are some 6,799
black-owned businesses in
Northeast Florida, versus the
national average per metropolitan
area of 3,263. That fact clearly
shows that blacks in Jacksonville
have an entrepreneurial spirit.

I personally know a couple dozen
families I could rattle off that make
at least $100,000 a year so profes-
sional blacks are doing pretty good
in Jacksonville. Now on the other
side of the coin or other side of the
tracks is where things start to get a
little sticky.
I always tell my son that you
have to pull back the carpet and see
what's underneath before you jump
to conclusions.
If you look underneath the carpet
you start to see a true tell of two
cities. The professionals and busi-
ness owners are doing well while
working class or lower income
families seem to be stuck in the
mud. Or as one of my City Council
colleagues used to say, "the ox is
stuck in the ditch."
That is where the true conflict
resides. Issues like healthcare
costs, affordable housing and
neighborhood revitalization are
total community issues, but they
have a direct impact on those who
need them the most. This is not a
new scenario, but the gap seems to
be growing.
We all once watched The Cosby
Show back in the day well, I
guess the 80s are sort of back in the
day. For me that show was my first
introduction of black upper middle
class America.
Of course, I didn't know of any
black families that were close to
being like the Huxtable's, but I
believed that they existed. The
problem in the 1980s was that the
number of Huxtable-type families
were so small that it was hard for
many African American to be

inspired by what they saw on TV.
Still today, there is debate over
whether that depiction was real.
Today in America, we find that
group is not only real, but also alive
and growing incredibly creating a
true legitimate black middle and
upper-middle class.
I wrote and article last year about
the income gap that is growing
between blacks and whites, but
there is also a growing income gap
between middle class and lower
income African Americans.
That is exactly why many blacks
are challenging the Black
Enterprise ranking. Some just don't
see how Jacksonville makes the cut
with so many blacks struggling .
But sometimes, and I did say some-
times, the numbers don't lie.
The Black Enterprise survey
focused on opportunities available
for middle- and upper-class blacks,
and those who have a high school
or college education. For each city,
there were the same 24 criteria con-
sidered, but emphasis was placed
on the following key criteria:
Black unemployment rate,
Percentage of black-owned busi-
nesses, Black median household
income compared with overall
median household income, Rate of
black home owners, Percentage of
black-owned households earning
more than $100,000, Percentage of
black college grads and Percentage
of home loan rejections for blacks,
were all criteria.
What was unique about our city
was that Jacksonville had the high-
est home ownership rate at 49.6
percent. Jacksonville also had the

highest mortgage rejection rate
(30.2 percent).
Again, I said that "sometimes"
the numbers don't lie. Despite
gains, African Americans still have
a long way to go.
Nationwide, African-Americans
reportedly earned an estimated
$660 billion dollars in 2006. That's
more than double the amount
earned a decade before.
The number of black owned
enterprises nearly doubled over the
last decade-five times the rate of
new business creation for the coun-
try as a whole. And not including
rappers and athletes, there are more
black millionaires than ever before.
But there's always a flip side or
better stated: there's always two
sides of every story. And some
would argue that blacks only have
one foot in the door of middle class
America.
Many blacks have professional
and management jobs that generate
fair middle class incomes, but, for a
variety of reasons, we typically
have fewer assets (savings, stocks,
bonds, real estate, and businesses)
than whites with the same income.
It is a sad fact, but it's true.
So the Black Enterprise study is
revealing, but certainly does not
make blacks rejoice and feel like
we have arrived. What the ranking
does do is bring fourth the fact that
there are obviously two black com-
munities in Jacksonville the haves
and those trying to climb out of the
ditch.
Signing off from a sort of middle
class community,
Reggie Fullwood

From Partnerships to Ownership: Promoting

a Culture of Change in the Media

by Cong. Carolyn Kilpatrick
I was one of a small delegation
of leaders who met with executives
at NBC and CBS during the early
days of the Imus controversy.
During both meetings, we dis-
cussed the dire need for increased
dialogue and the importance of
constructing meaningful partner-
ships to combat divisive patterns
and practices in mass media.
From the onset of this debate, I
have maintained the issue is far
larger than an isolated verbal
assault. All Americans have the
right to free speech. We should not
allow individuals to misuse and
abuse their positions in the media
to publicly castigate and denigrate
others.
We must promote a culture of
change to eradicate racially and
sexually degrading and other dis-
criminatory depictions in the
media. We can accomplish this by
pushing networks to increase
opportunities for minorities and
women, supporting ethnic media,
and advocating for change in gov-
ernment.
We must demand that networks
and other media organizations
implement policies and practices
that promote diversity and inclu-
sion. We need to ensure that these
companies provide minorities and
women with employment opportu-
nities that increase their numbers
not only in front of the camera, but
also in decision-making positions

behind the camera. We must work
in collaboration with colleges and
universities to offer training, men-
toring, internship, and scholarship
programs that encourage minorities
and women to pursue careers in the
media.
There are more than 1,000 publi-
cations targeted at women and
minorities in the United Sates. We
must support these organizations!
For 180 years, black publications
have documented the African
American story and continue to
make sure the world is aware of the
African American experience. The
multicultural media serves as a
vital source of information about
the lifestyle, culture, achievements,
activities, and ongoing struggles of
ethnic minorities for equal oppor-
tunities in education, employment,
housing, and healthcare in order to
live a quality life in America's
democracy. We must subscribe to
these publications, support their
initiatives, and encourage our
employers to advertise with them.
While we must work with net-
works and other media organiza-
tions to ensure minority and female
representation, we must also gener-
ate avenues through which we can
create and control our images. We
must fight to remove barriers to
media ownership. We must work to
change existing rules that regulate
the industry, because the govern-
ment is the true gatekeeper to pro-
viding equal opportunities for

media ownership.
According to a recent study com-
missioned by Free Press, a national
nonpartisan media research organi-
zation, women comprise 51 percent
of the U.S. population, but own
only 4.97 percent of all broadcast
stations. Additionally, minorities
represent 33 percent of the entire
population, but own only 3.26 per-
cent of all broadcast stations.
While female and minority owner-
ship has increased in other sectors
of the marketplace, it has declined
in the broadcast industry. I have
asked the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) to re-evaluate
the agency's current rules and their
impact on minority ownership.
As a sixth term member of
Congress and current Chairwoman
of the Congressional Black
Caucus, an organization that repre-
sents more than 40 million
Americans of all racial and ethnic
backgrounds, I have supported-
and will continue to support-
increased opportunities for all
minorities and women in mass
media. Diversity is America's
strength.
We must teach our children and
grandchildren to celebrate and
appreciate our differences. We
must help them understand that all
people have value and deserve
respect. We must come together
and use our differences to address
our collective challenges if we are
serious about preserving the

American Dream and building
stronger families, healthier com-
munities, and a united America.
Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks
Kilpatrick, Chairwoman of the
Congressional Black Caucus, is
serving her sixth term as the U. S.
Representative for Michigan's 13th
District.

DISCLAIMER
The United State provides oppor-
tunities for free expression of ideas.
The Jacksonville Free Press has its
view, but others may differ.
Therefore, the Free Press ownership
reserves the right to publish views
and opinions by syndicated and
local columnist, professional writers
and other writers' which are solely
their own. Those views do not neces-
sarily reflect the policies and posi-
tions of the staff and management of
the Jacksonville Free Press.
Readers, are encouraged to write
letters to the editor commenting on
current events as well as what they
wouldlike to see included in the
paper. All letters must be type writ-
ten and signed and include a tele-
phone number and address. Please
address letters to the Editor, c/o
JFP, P.O. Box 43580 Jacksonville,
FL 32203. (No CALLS PLEASE)

I, One of the first students killed in the Virginia
*. Tech shootings was Ryan Clark, a young African-
SAmerican student. The fatal shootings have thrust
the issue of gun control back on the national polit-
ical agenda and illustrate another gap in attitudes
that separates blacks and whites. African-Americans are more likely to
support gun control and less likely to own a handgun than whites.
Bubba with the gun rack on his pickup truck remains a real and consis-
tent threat for blacks in America. As white Americans in Congress and
statehouses fret about 2nd Amendment rights after Virginia Tech, African
American families involved in the nation's most heinous racial hate crime
committed with firearms have yet to have the issue addressed and resolved.
The dastardly deed occurred in 2003 at a Lockheed Martin assembly
plant in Meridian, Miss. when a white factory worker went on a rampage,
shooting five blacks and one white dead before killing himself. During the
morning break, the gunman opened fire at the aircraft parts plant with a
shotgun and a semi-automatic rifle. The shooter, Doug Williams, was a 19-
year company employee who didn't like blacks and had talked about want-
ing to kill people. Williams had previously exhibited racist behavior and
undergone psychological evaluation as a result of a racially charged argu-
ment he'd had with a fellow worker less than two years before the rampage.
Erica and Jonathan Willis, children of shooting victim Thomas Willis,.
nov. allege that Milwaukee, Wis.-based NEAS Inc. and Meridian-based
Psychology Associates caused the problem when their evaluation failed to
address Williams' racism and rage. Their attorney William F. Blair says
the family' is suing the companies "for damages and acknowledgment that
this was a senseless racial murder". Willis' fatal contact with Williams
came on July, 8, 2003 after Williams abruptly walked out of a mandatory
ditersiit training class at the plant. Williams went to his vehicle and
returned \% ith a 12-gauge shotgun and a semiautomatic rifle. Mr. Willis,
\vho had apparently complained to company officials about Williams'
threats. as shot in the back as he tried to flee.
The national conscious will side with Virginia Tech victims, but proving
the culpability of the Lockheed Martin contractors in Williams' acts has
been difficult for plaintiffs. Black plant workers say they'd complained for
months that Williams threatened them, used racial slurs and even spoke of
a coming "race war." Lynette McCall, one of those murdered, had told her
husband of several racist incidents involving Williams over years; such as:
"Sa\ ing he was going to come in one day and kill up a bunch of niggers
and then he was going to turn the gun on himself." When Williams over-
heard a black man complimenting a white woman on the factory floor, he
stepped to the man, used a racial slur, angrily told him blacks had no busi-
ness being with blond women, and threatened him. The night before the
fatal shooting. Williams told his father he was angry that he would have to
attend the annual ethics and sensitivity training course the next morning.
Brenda Dubose who suffered injuries in the attack is a party to the suite,
but Psychology Associates officials "deny" they are liable in any regard.
Blair says Williams had been referred to NEAS, then to its affiliate.
Psychology Associates, in response to an argument with a black employee.
He sa s Lockheed had told NEAS about Williams' violent racial threats.
NEAS employed Psychology Associates in Meridian to evaluate Williams
but only told Psychology Associates that Williams had "communication
problems". Blair contends both companies failed to reasonablyrevaluate
Doug Williams and claims they did little to defuse Williams' hostility and
allowed him to return to work.
The nation's attention will focus on mental illness in the Virginia Tech
shootings, but societal inattentiveness to illnesses of racism continue to
allow gun and workplace practices to the detriment of African Americans.
In spite of Williams' violent attacks and history of racial taunting, local law
enforcement says it isn't clear the shootings were racially motivated. The
Lauderdale County Sheriff claims it appears Williams "fired at random".

- 5 -

_ I___ _____I _I

Anril 26 -M 220M Prs ePs ag

Tourists Seeking Gullah Culture

Chuma Nwokike discusses the new interest in Gullah and black cul-
ture during an interview in his gallery, Gallery Chuma, in Charleston,
S.C. Nwokike says the gallery does a brisk business in the works of
such Gullah artists and Jonathan Green and John Jones. The hats are
one-of-a-kind hats made by his sister in Nigeria.

by B. Smith
CHARLESTON, S.C. For
decades here, there was little men-
tion of the rich culture of the
descendants of black slaves, many
of whom lived as farmers and fish-
erfolk on the nearby sea islands.
Euphemisms used by whites
helped obscure their history. The
Civil War was sometimes referred
to as "the recent unpleasantness."
Slaves became servants; slave quar-
ters became carriage houses.
Despite the rewriting of reality and
lack of recognition from outsiders,
the culture of West African slaves
was nourished by their descendants.
The isolation of the sea islands
where they lived helped keep their
language, arts and traditions largely
intact.
But now this culture known as

Gullah in the Carolinas and
Geechee in Florida and Georgia is
being noticed and sought out by
others. Government officials and
cultural institutions are taking
measures to preserve and promote
the uniqueness of Gullah culture.
And bus tours, restaurants, muse-
ums and galleries are attracting a
growing number of tourists search-
ing for the full history of the region.
"It's like the hidden secret that no
one ever talked about," said
Alphonso Brown, who grew up
Gullah on a farm without running
water and now runs Gullah Tours.
"Of course if there is something that
is hidden and then revealed, every-
one is talking about it."

Gullah communities were estab-
lished on the sea islands by freed

slaves after the Civil War. Most
made their livings as fisherfolk or
as farmers tending fields of vegeta-
bles and row crops.
Brown, a retired school teacher
and band director, has been giving
his tours for more than two
decades. When he started, the
busiest times were in the spring and
fall, the top tourism seasons in
Charleston. Now he's booked year-
round, except for January when the
winter slows business. Even then,
he gives tours for corporate groups.
His tours provide a glimpse of
things one might miss on a more
traditional tour of the city's pastel
buildings and historic sites.
There's the Old Slave Mart; a
house lived in by Denmark Vesey,
who planned an 1822 slave insur-
rection; and Catfish Row, which
inspired the George Gershwin
opera "Porgy and Bess."
"There are slave quarters all over
the place," says Brown, who navi-
gates the narrow city streets in a
small white bus. "The house guides
and the Realtors and other people
don't say 'slave quarters,' they say
'carriage houses' or 'servants' quar-
ters' or 'dependencies."'
Brown's tours depart near the
Charleston Visitors Center just
down the street from Gallery
Chuma, which does a brisk busi-
ness in Gullah art.
Continued on page 9

Cosby and Poussaint

Sign Book Deal

Single Mom

Magazine Hitting

Stands in May
Mystic Publications, Inc., the pub-
lishing company founded by for-
mer Mrs. New Jersey (2000)
Crystal H. Jennings (a single moth-
er earlier this year, will launch its
first project SM: The Magazine for
Single Mothers on May 8, 2007.
The first bi-monthly consumer
magazine devoted to the needs and
concerns of the nation's 10. 4 mil-
lion single mothers.
The magazine's Departments
cover the gamut of relevant and
timely subjects including advice on
finances, careers, legalities and
investment opportunities penned
by known writers and authorities.
For more information, visit the
website singlemothermag.com

In communities across the coun-
try, Bill Cosby has publicly drawn
attention in the last three years to
the dire crises in black America:
more young men in prison than in
college, 50 percent high-school
drop-out rates, too many children
born to teen-aged parents, children
whose parents are ill-equipped and
disinterested in parenting. These
problems have been fermenting for
years, but few have called them out
with as much force, determination,
passion, and credibility as has Dr.
Cosby.
Now Cosby, one of America's
most beloved and revered cultural
icons, and Alvin F. Poussaint, pro-
fessor of psychiatry at Harvard
Medical School and a civil rights
veteran, lay out their message of
hope and empowerment in a new
book entitled "Come on, People!
On the Path from Victims to
Victors,".
"Come on People!" is built around
the themes of Cosby's popular call-
out sessions, in which he has chal-
lenged people in towns and cities
across America to reclaim and
restore their families and communi-
ties.
Cosby and Poussaint share their
vision for strengthening America
by addressing the crisis of people

frozen in feelings of low self-
esteem, abandonment, anger, fear-
fulness, sadness, and feelings of
being used, undefended, and unpro-
tected. By addressing these issues
and providing tools to deal with
them, Cosby and Poussaint help
empower people to make the daunt-
ing transition from victims to vic-
tors.
At times challenging, at times
inspirational, "Come On, People!"
will provide real-life examples of
the problems plaguing communities
throughout America and the time-
tested solutions that can help turn
things around.
Suffused with humor and moral
clarity, "Come on, People!" chal-
lenges readers to
-- take their neighborhoods back;
-- become purposeful and effec-
tive parents;
-- get actively engaged in shaping
the lives of their children;
-- take care of their physical and
emotional health;
-- encourage their families toward
higher education; and
-- think entrepreneurially about
employment and economic
advancement.
The book is scheduled for publi-
cation in fall 2007.

lq

5,
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A MANDATORY Pre-Proposal Conference will be held at 10:00 AM
(Local Time), May 3, 2007, at the JAA Administration Building, 2nd
Floor, 14201 Pecan Park Road, Jacksonville, FL 32218. All interested
Proposer's must attend this meeting as a prerequisite to the submittal of
a Proposal. Failure to do so will result in the rejection of RFP.

Proposals will be received by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA)
and Jacksonville Port Authority (JPA) until 2:00 PM (Local Time), on
May 31, 2007, at which time they will be opened at the JAA
Administration Building, 2nd Floor, 14201 Pecan Park Road,
Jacksonville, FL, for Employee Medical and Dental Benefits.

MEETING NOTICE

April 20, 2007

Jacksonville City Council Member Glorious Johnson, Chair of the
Duval County Value Adjustment Board, hereby calls a meeting of the
Value Adjustment Board for Thursday, May 10, 2007 at 10:30 a.m., in
the Council Chambers, 1st Floor, City Hall (St. James), 117 West Duval
Street, Jacksonville, Florida, 32202.

The Board will consider recommendations from Special Magistrate
hearings held after November 17, 2006 and such other matters as nec-
essary to reach closure on 2006 VAB issues. The Board will also con-
sider a proposed Stipulated Final Judgment in Duval County Circuit
Court Case Number 16-2006-CA-002017, CVS etc. et al. v. Jim
Overton. etc. et al. (Count VII of which concerns claims involving the
Value Adjustment Board) and such other matters as the Chair may bring
before the Board.

All interested parties are invited to attend.

Further information may be obtained from Erica Estinvil or Heather
Poston, VAB Team, City Council Office, 630-7370.

Invites All Cnurcnes to witness
The Jesus Christ Deliverance Center, 5933 Flicker Ave., C.C. Kyles,
Pastor, urges all churches to come magnify the Name of the Lord and to
bring their congregations, choirs and dance teams, for a high time in the
Lord at 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 29th, the Community is welcome..
Greater New Mt. Moriah Missionary
Baptist to Present Gospel Jamboree
The Pastor's Aide Board of Greater New Mount Moriah Missionary
Baptist Church,. 1953 W. 9th Street, Dr. Percy Jackson Sr., Pastor; will
present "Gospel Jamboree 2007" at 6 p .m. on Saturday, April 28th. The
Inspirational Daughters of Joy, of Gainesville; the Memorial Missionary
Baptist Church Male Chorus, of Monticello, FL; Elder Robert Jackson &
The New Spirit Travelers, Golden Clouds and Sunny Rose Gospel Singers,
and more. For information, call (904) 713-9183.
Dr. Johnson is Speaker for "Old
Fashioned Tea" at Wayman Chapel
The Minnie L. Barnes Women's Missionary Society of Wayman Chapel
AME, Sanchez at Baymeadows Rd., Rev. Mark Griffin, Pastor; will spon-
sor a "Good Old Fashioned Tea" at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 28th. Dr.
Tracheila Johnson will be the speaker.
A Luncheon and Fashion Show will feature the latest couture by Vonda's
Unique Accessories, and free Health Screening will also be available. For
ticket information, please call (904) 739-7500.
Judge Angela Cox to speak at
"Women of Excellence" at Hope Plaza
The Women's Ministry of First New Zion Missionary Baptist Church,
Rev. Dr. James B. Sampson, Pastor; will present Judge Angela Cox as the
speaker for the "Women of Excellence Luncheon" at 11 a.m. on Saturday,
April 28, 2007, at Hope Plaza, 6th Fl. Banquet Room. For reservations and
information, please call (904) 765-3111.
New Fountain Chapel Calling All
Leona Daniel's Day Participants
Plans for the 60th Anniversary Celebration of Leona Daniel's Day are
now in preparation. This celebration will take place on Sunday May 20th.
Anyone who's been involved with the Leona Daniel's Day Celebration from
the beginning is asked to please call Fountain Chapel, at 358-2258, or Sister
Eunice Harmon, at 354-3021, as soon as possible.

The Fellowship Of Consecrated United Singles invite the public to the
2007 singles Conference April 29-30,2007 held at the West Jacksonville
Church located at 3838 Firestone Road on the Westside. Guest Speaker will
be Sharon Riley of Orlando Fl. Workshops on Thursday & Friday begin at
6:30p.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m. For more information or to register, call
904-771-1866 ext 21 or email westjaxsingles @yahoo.com.
Mother/Daughter and Father/Son
Programs Planned at St. Vincent's
April 29, 2007 will be a special day at St. Vincent's Hospital, 1851 King
Street; when the Mother/Daughter (age 10-12) Program will be presented
from 1-4 p.m., and the Father/Son (12-14) Program will be presented from
5-8 p.m. These programs explore God's special gifts. For more information
and reservations, please call (904) 308-7474 or visit www.dcfl.org.
First New Zion Women's Ministry
Holds Women of Excellence Luncheon
The Women's Ministry of First New Zion Missionary Baptist Church,
Rev. Dr. James B. Sampson, Pastor; will present the "Women of Excellence
Luncheon" at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 28, 2007, at the Hope Plaza, 6th
Floor Banquet Room. The guest speaker will be Judge Angela Cox.
The community is invited to enjoy great fellowship, fun and food in this
time of sharing. For reservations, call Debra at (904)765-3111.
17th Prisoner of Christ Prayer

Breakfast set for Tuesday, May 8
Pastors, their Congregations, and members of the Community are invit-
ed to attend the "17th Annual Crime Prevention Prayer Breakfast" at 7:27
a.m. on Tuesday, May 8, 2007, at the Wyndham Jacksonville Riverwalk
Hotel, 1515 Prudential Drive.
The Prisoners of Christ is a faith-based ministry that provides re-entry
transitional services, including housing, for men coming our of incarcera-
tion. The ministry has helped nearly 1,800 men turn their lives around
instead of returning to crime.
The ,Ministry works to help provide re-entry services that make a dif-
ference, such as food, shelter, clothing, help finding a job, recovery from
substance abuse, guidance and encouragement from men who hae been in
their position, and more. Eighty-nine percent hae succeeded in their efforts
to live a new way.
This year's breakfast will feature men from the ministry, who are in the
process of the transition. For information, please call 358-8866.

"Pentecostal Explosion" May 8-12th
The Pentecostal District of the Florida Central 2nd Ecclesiastical
Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ, Elder W. R. Robinson,
Superintendent; Elder Edward Robinson Sr., Bishop; have announced the
"Pentecostal Explosion" Conference, Tuesday, May 8th thru Saturday, May
12, 2007; at the Southside COGIC, 2179 Emerson St.
Youth Night will open the conference on Tuesday, May 8th. There will
be choirs, dancers, steppers, and more. Pastor Cedric Johnson of the
Carpenter's House COGIC, will be the speaker.
Women's Day, Wednesday, May 9th will begin with Breakfast at 9:30
a.m., with Day Sessions from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dr. Norbice Sellers of
Norfolk, Va. will be the Evening Speaker.
Superintendent's Night, Thursday, May 10th will begin with Session
from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Dr. G. Bobby Hall, of Greater Hall Temple
COGIC, will be the evening speaker.
Bishop Edward Robinson Sr. will be the speaker on "Bishop's Night"
Friday, May 11th.
Family Fun Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May
12th, at the Spring Park Elementary School, Spring Park Road. There will
be Fun, Food and Games. Come to all events and be blessed!

District 4 to present "Encouraging

Seniors, April 28 at Genesis M. B.
District 4, Dea. Edwin Williams, Leader; Rev. Roger Thompson,
President; of Genesis Missionary Baptist Church, 241 South McDuff Ave.,
Rev. Calvin O. Honors, Interim Pastor; will present "Encouraging Seniors"
at 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 28th.
Rev. Greg Williams of Midway Tabernacle Baptist Church, will bring
the Spoken Word; and the Midway Tabernacle Baptist Church Choir will
render the service in song. The community is invited.

ASHBURN, Georgia --
Students of Turner County High
School started what they hope will
become a new tradition: Black and
white students attended the prom
together for the first time on
Saturday.
In previous years, parents had
organized private, segregated
dances for students of the school in
rural Ashburn, Georgia, 160 miles
south of Atlanta.
"Whites always come to this one
and blacks always go to this one,"
said Lacey Adkinson, a 14-year-old
freshman at the school of 455 stu-
dents -- 55 percent black, 43 per-
cent white. (Watch students arrive
at dance)
"It's always been a tradition since
my daddy was in school to have the
segregated ones, and this year we're
finally getting to try something
new," she said. (Audio slide show:
A town breaks with tradition)
Adkinson's sister, Mindy Bryan,
attended a segregated prom in 2001.
"There was not anybody that I
can remember that was black," she
said. "The white people have theirs,
and the black people have theirs.
It's nothing racial at all."
Breaking away from traditions
But this year's upperclassmen --
213 students total --voted to have
just one official prom.
"It's been a dream of all of ours,"
Senior Class President James Hall

Adrienne Wilson and Joe Smith take the prom walk at Heritage Park
in downtown Ashburn, Ga., before the Turner County High School
prom on Saturday, April 21, 2007. For the last several years, blacks
have gathered downtown before their prom to have pictures made.

said.
"We didn't want to put emphasis
on integration. We just wanted to
emphasize this was our first school
prom," Principal Chad Stone said.
The theme of the first
official prom: Breakaway.
"It was fitting already because we
are breaking away from the past tra-
ditions here in Turner County
School," Hall said.
Another tradition that ended this
year -- having two separate home-
coming queens.
"You pick the homecoming queen
for their personalities and being a

role model," explained Roshunda
Pierce, 16, as she waited to get her
nails done for prom.
In the past, two queens were cho-
sen -- one white, one black.
But not everyone in the town of
4,400, famous for its peanuts and
Fire Ant Festival, was breaking
with the past.
The "white prom"
still went on last week.
"We did everything like a regular
prom just because we had already
booked it," said, Cheryl Nichols,
18, who attended the dance.
Nichole Royal, 18, said black stu-
dents could have gone to the prom,
but didn't.
"I guess they feel like they're not
welcome," she said.
Nichols said while her parents
were in support of the integrated
prom, some of her friends weren't
allowed to go.
"If they're not coming tonight it's
because either they had to work and
they couldn't get out of it or because
their parents are still having an
issue because they grew up in south
Georgia," she said.
"I've asked, 'Why can't you
come?' and they're like, 'My
mommy and daddy -- they don't
agree with being with the colored
people,' which I think is crazy," she
said.

Stone said he doesn't plan to stop
the private proms.
"That's going to be up to the par-
ents. That's part of being in
America. If they want to do that for
the kids, then that's fine," he said.
Looking toward the future
Outside the prom on Saturday,
parents and relatives of students
talked as the students filed into the
Turner Civic Center.
"If they are picking so much for it
to be united, why was there a prom
last week for the white, when they
are supposed to be united for
tonight?" asked Lisa Hall.
Valerie McKellar echoed that
sentiment as she watched white and
black students pose together.
"That is so fake. There is nothing
real about that," she said.
"That's just like you're cooking a
half-baked cake, putting the icing
on it, and when you cut the cake,
the cake ain't no good. That's how
this prom is," she said.
McKellar said the prom was a
step, but more needs to be done.
"There is a time and season for all
things, and right now it's time for
Turner County to make a change."
A success in the students' eyes
Inside the auditorium, students
put the controversy aside and
danced for hours. Stone said he was
pleased with the outcome. About
150 students, including some dates
from other schools, attended.
Students leaving the prom
praised the evening.
"We been separated for a while. I
sure appreciate how the school got
all of us together, and we had a
blast" said John Holmes, 16.
Aneisha Gipson, who was
crowned prom queen, said the night
could not have been better.
"Amazing. It was absolutely
amazing. It was perfect."
Superintendent Ray Jordan said
he couldn't be more proud of Stone
and his students.
"If I could write this story it would
be a story of celebration of students
making a difference for themselves
and for future students. I believe
they wanted to leave their mark,
and I certainly believe they've done
that."

Tracie S. Pough, daughter of
Ruby and Charles Pough wed
Terrance L. Ashanta-Barker, son of
LaVerne Carter (Cincinnati, OH),
last month at Shiloh Metropolitan
Baptist Church.
Tracie, one of Jacksonville's own
prot6g6's, graduated from Ribault
High School, attended Rollins
College and received her Master's
degree from Florida State
University. She is currently living
and working in Washington, DC as
Chief of Staff for U. S.
Representative Debbie Wasserman
Schultz (D-Fla.)
It was in Tallahassee that she met
her fiancee, Terrance. He was
doing post graduate work at FSU's
College of Law. Terrance is cur-
rently an associate in the Business
and Finance Department of Taft,
Stettinius & Hollister LLP,

Cincinnati, Ohio.
Tracie and Terrance chose
Jacksonville to host their late
March weekend wedding celebra-
tion, "Southern Elegance in
Spring". Over 200 guests will be
treated to a delightful Welcome
Reception on Friday at the Omni
Hotel, a Garden Brunch Reception
at The Club Continental on the St.
Johns River, following the marriage
ceremony on Saturday and a
Gospel Jazz Farewell Luncheon at
the Ritz Theatre & La Villa
Museum, on Sunday. The Wedding
Event Planner was Brenda Titus, of
Aromas Events & Gifts.
Stephanie Pough, the bride's sis-
ter, was the Maid of Honor and
Adrian Barker, the groom's brother,
was the Best Man. After a trip to
the Caribbean, the couple is making
Cincinnati their permanent home. ,

District Meeting Plans
Youth night of the District Meeting of the Pentecostal Church will be
held on Tuesday, may 8th from 7:30-9:30 p.m. The festive event will
include choirs, dancers, steppers and much more The speaker is Pastor
Cedric Johnson, Carpenter's House C.O.GI.C.
Women's Day will begin on May 9th with breakfast served from 9:30
a.m. until 10:30a..m. Morning day sessions from 11:00 a.m. until 1p.m.;
evening service starts at 7:30 p.m., the speaker is Evang. Norbice
Sellars of Norfolk VA.
The Pentecostal District Meeting Day will be on May 10th. Day ses-
sions begin from 10a.m. 12 p.m. and evening service starts at 7:30
p.m., the speaker is Elder G Bobby Hall, Pastor of Greater Hall Temple
C.O.GI.C. For
All meetings will be held at the host church, the Southside Church Of
God In Christ, 2179 Emerson St, Jacksonville FL. For more information
call the church at 904-398-1625

Shirp
(Iivddar

April 26 -May 2, 2007

Ms. Perry's Free Press Page 7

April26 May 2, 2007

P nvi.R M- Phirrv's F ree Press

Black Women Should Set Realistic Weight Loss Goals

As African American women we
are blessed with naturally curva-
ceous bodies. People of other ethnic
backgrounds go to extreme meas-
ures to mimic our natural beauty,
but often times we try to go above
and beyond what nature tells us to.
Yes, African Americans are strug-
gling with obesity and we need to
be proactive about weight loss, but
we also need to be realistic about
our ideal weights. Like it or not,
you have a "set point," says
Cassandra Forsythe, a nutrition and
exercise scientist at the University
of Connecticut a genetically
determined weight where your
body is most comfortable.
In order to stick to this genetical-
ly determined number and regulate
stored fat, your body uses gazillions
of physiological mechanisms, like

interactions between hormones and
molecules that affect hunger levels.
So, if you're trying to drop twenty
pounds below your set point by eat-
ing less, you're messing with
Mama Nature (and Mama don't
play). When you don't eat enough
to maintain your set point, your
body thinks you're starving and
"responds by lowering its metabol-
ic rate, which reduces the number
of calories you burn," Forsythe
says.
How do we move beyond this
issue? First, start by being realistic
about your ideal weight. Don't for-
get that your weight does not deter-
mine your size. When you exercise,
you not only lose weight, you gain
muscle. Muscle weighs more than
fat. It is also important to under-
stand that you don't lose weight by

eating less; you lose weight by diet-
ing and exercising to speed up your
metabolism.
You can speed up your metabo-
lism with regular exercise at least
30 minutes of cardio, 5 days a
week. It also helps to increase the
amount of good fats (such as
monounsaturated) and lean protein
(think fish and poultry). These
foods can accelerate your metabo-
lism.
Remember, as African American
women, we are blessed with beauti-
ful physical and spiritual features.
Current "ideal" weights don't nec-
essarily apply to us. It is important
to maintain a healthy weight, but it
isn't necessary to go to extreme
measures to fit into weight brackets
that weren't designed for the people
of your ethnic group.

10 Tips to See Results Now

5 Ways to Keep It Off
1)They stayed active after they
reached their target weight. Men
and women who have kept the
weight off report a high level of
physical activity. The most popu-
lar form of exercise is walking,
followed by cycling, weight lift-
ing, and aerobics.
2) They eat a diet low in calo-
ries and fats. Successful losers
report consuming an average of
1,381 calories per day, with 24%
of those calories from fat.
3)They don't skip breakfast.
More than three-fourths of the
registry members eat breakfast
every day, and only 4% say they
never eat breakfast. A typical
breakfast is cereal and fruit.
Eating breakfast can increase
your metabolism, helping your
burn more calories during the
day. It also helps avoid overeat-
ing later in the day.
4) They hit the scales.
Successful losers report weighing
themselves regularly (44% weigh
themselves daily and 31% hit the
scales once a week). Researchers
say, frequently checking your
weight allows you to catch small
weight gains and take steps to
correct them.
5) They maintain a consistent
eating pattern. Most registry
members say they eat the same
way on weekdays and weekends.

I have friends and loved ones suffering from
Alzheimer's. But I can imagine... and hope
for... a world without this terrible disease.

You can help make a difference A major brain imaging study led by
the National Institutes of Health may help us learn how to slop Ihe
progression of Alznemer s
Please consider joining the study if you are between 55 and 90 and:
are in good general nealln wih no memory problems. OR
are in good general nealln Dul have memory problems
or concerns. OR
have a diagnosis of early Al;:eimer's dsease
For more information, call 1-800-438-4380
or visit www.alzheimers.org/imagine.

Make sure to train all of your mus-
cle groups.
3) Bad form.
Poor technique is a surefire way
to get injured. Book a day to go
through your entire program with a
certified personal trainer to ensure
your form is correct.
4) Not progressing properly.
Doing too much, too often, too
soon is a common error made by
the overzealous gym enthusiast.
Make sure to get proper rest
between workouts. You don't
progress in the gym. Your changes
and results take form during your
recovery.
5) Not switching things up.
If you've been doing the same rou-
tine for a couple of months, you've
been doing it way too long. Your
body is used to it by now and it's
not advancing or changing any-
more. Switch it up.
6) Not adjusting your equipment.
One size doesn't fit all. Take the
time to fit equipment to your body
to decrease your risk of injury.

7) Being distracted.
Focus on the task at hand. Reading
or watching television is discour-
aged, as it may take away from the
effort you're putting forth. Also,
never turn your neck around while
lifting weights to see or speak with
someone. Keep your gaze ahead
until you complete your set.
8)Not properly cooling down.
It's crucial to take a few minutes to
stretch and let your heart return to
normal. This improves flexibility
and gets you ready for your next
workout.
9) Poor gym etiquette.
Many things fall under this cate-
gory, including not wiping down
your machines, lingering too long
while others wait or talking loudly
on your cell phone. Be considerate
of your fellow exercisers.
10) Not setting an attainable goal.
If you aim too high at first, you
will be easily discouraged and less
likely to continue your new
lifestyle. Start slow and be realistic.

Maya Angelou
uij .i i :,, '']u,: jl' r

Considering a Juice Fast?
During a juice fast, since there is no solid food .
ingested and no fiber to work against the bowels stop
moving. As a person keeps juicing, there are many
toxins that are released into the bloodstream and not
eliminated. Instead of being released from the body,
many of them can be reabsorbed back into the tissues. .
This can be completely avoided simply by taking an intestinal cleansing
formula. During each day of the juice fast, take an herbal laxative at
night, and also first thing in the morning if needed.

Equal healthcare access

reduces racial disparities

In an equal access health care
system, such as Veterans Affairs
(VA) hospitals, the outcomes for
African-American patients treated
for heart disease are similar to, or
better than, those of white patients,
new research suggests.
In a setting where differences in
access and treatment are mini-
mized, "so are racial differences in
functional outcome," Dr. Nancy R.
Kressin from the VA Medical
Center in Bedford, Massachusetts,
colleagues report in the American
Heart Journal.
They studied the care and out-
come of 793 white and 229 black
patients with the same degree of
heart disease, namely, the restricted
blood flow due to blocked arteries,
who were treated at five VA hospi-
tals.
There were some racial differ-
ences in the treatments received,
especially heart bypass surgery,
with blacks less likely to have this
procedure than whites, Kressin told
Reuters Health.
"But despite this, over time, the
African-American patients fared
better in terms of their functional
status (e.g. their ability to do the
tasks of daily living)," she said.
"Although African Americans
and whites did not receive identical

care, the few differences in out-
comes suggest that in this case, dif-
ferent care was not 'disparate' care,"
she and colleagues conclude.
There's a perception that the VA
system provides inferior health
care. But Kressin said several
recent studies do not support this
image of the VA. For example, she
cited a 2000 study in which investi-
gators from the Houston VA
Medical Center tracked survival
after a heart attack among nearly
2,500 veterans and almost 30,000
patients covered by fee-for-service
Medicare plans.
In this study, veterans were more
likely than Medicare patients to
have a history of several ailments,
including high blood pressure, dia-
betes, lung disease, stroke or
dementia. But compared with the
healthier Medicare patients treated
at other hospitals, those treated at a
VA hospital were just as likely to be
alive one month and one year after
a heart attack.
"All of this," Kressin told Reuters
Health, "suggests that VA care is of
high quality and comparable to care
patients get through Medicare or
elsewhere in the health care system,
which should inspire confidence for
veterans receiving their care from
the VA."

10 Tips To See Results Now
23-Apr-2007
You've finally done it. After all of
those months of talking about it,
you've finally joined a gym. You go
there consistently and you work out
hard, but you're not seeing results
as quickly as you expected. I bet
you're wondering why.
You're on the right track. You're
fired up and you're being proactive
about your fitness goals. All you
may need to do now is make a few
simple adjustments. Use these ten
tips by the American Council on
Exercise (ACE) to improve your
technique and prevent injury:
1) You believe in all or nothing.
If for some reason you don't have
a full hour to train, you skip the
workout entirely. Don't! Even fif-
teen minutes of training on one
muscle makes a difference.
2) Unbalanced weight training.
Many people over train the mus-
cles that have the most impact on
the way they look and forget about
others, leaving them imbalanced.

Simmons Pediatrics

m*/.

Charles E. Simmons, III, M.D.

Hospital Expert!

Have your newborn or sick child seen
in the hospital by their own Doctor.
Baptist-Wolfson Children's Hospital
St. Vincents- Memorial & St. Lukes Hospital

Open Casting Call Out to Find Your Roots on Next African-American Lives Series

One Selected Person Will Have His Or Her Roots Mapped
Through DNA Analysis And Genealogical Research

In February 2006, the acclaimed
PBS series African American Lives
brought to the forefront of national
consciousness the powerful process
of discovering one's family history.
A Roots for the 21st century, the
series made a deep cultural impact
through its riveting use of DNA
analysis, genealogical research and
family oral tradition to trace the lin-
eages of highly accomplished
African Americans down through

Gullah

Touring
Continued from page 5
Artists include the noted
Jonathan Green as well as John
Jones, whose bright paintings
"Confederate Currency: The Color
of Money," reproduced scenes of
slavery from Confederate bills and
Southern bank notes.
"There's definitely a lot of interest
in the culture," said gallery owner
Chuma Nwokike, a native of
Nigeria who graduated from The
Citadel. "People come in saying
they want to go to Gullah, Gullah
Island."
There was a children's TV show
called "Gullah, Gullah Island" in
the mid-90s on Nickelodeon, but
there is no real place with that
name.
Tourists can visit Gullah commu-
nities at real places like Wadmalaw
Island and St. Helena Island -
where some segments for the show
were filmed.
But the culture is experienced
with more than simple sightseeing.
It's about food, listening to the
Gullah language, and learning about
the culture at museums like that at
the Avery Research Center for
African-American History and
Culture at the College of
Charleston.
Gullah is a Creole language a
language that develops when people
who can't understand each other
remain in long contact, as the slaves
did with their captors. Linguists say
there are structural differences
between Gullah and English that
justify it being considered a sepa-
rate language.
A New Testament in Gullah was
published two years ago, to the
delight of people like Carolyn
Jabulile White, who grew up Gullah
and now entertains by telling stories
in Gullah to groups and visitors.
"It's nice to see it in a Bible
because when you go to the funerals
and to the weddings and the gather-
ings on the islands, you heard it all
the time," White said. "I'm glad it's
done, because when I'm gone, my
children, my grandchildren, those
behind will know we certainly had a
very rich heritage and culture as a
people."
About an hour's drive south of
Charleston, nestled amid oaks
shrouded by Spanish moss on St.
Helena is the Penn Center with its
museum, site of one of the first
schools in the nation for freed
slaves. A National Historic
Landmark, the center's mission is to
preserve the Gullah culture.
A Gullah-Geechee Cultural
Heritage Corridor running from
North Carolina to Florida was des-
ignated by Congress last year. It is
the only one of 37 heritage corri-
dors in the nation to focus on the
experience of blacks. An
International African-American
History Museum is also planned in
Charleston.
If You Go...
GULLAH TOURS:
http://www.gullahtours.com or 843-
763-7551. Two-hour tour, Monday-
Friday, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.;
Saturday, 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3
p.m. Adults, $18; children, $12-$15.
GALLERY CHUMA: 43 John
St., Charleston; www.gallerychu-
ma.com or 843-722-7568. Monday-
Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
CAROLINA FOOD PROS:
Culinary tours; http://www.caroli-
nafoodpros.com/tours or 843-856-
3833. Culinary History tour,

U.S. history and back to Africa.
One year later, Oprah's Roots fur-
ther crystallized and propelled
America's interest in family tree
research through the powerful sto-
ries of Oprah Winfrey's ancestors
and their accomplishments.
Now, you too are invited to par-
ticipate in the newest African
American Lives project. The pro-
ducers of African American Lives 2
are seeking an African American to

join Harvard professor Henry Louis
Gates Jr. and an all-new group of
distinguished African Americans on
an extraordinary journey of discov-
ery. The series is scheduled to air on
PBS in February 2008.
Under the supervision of
Professor Gates, the series' research
will be conducted by the eminent
genealogists Tony Burroughs, Johni
Cerny, Jane Ailes and Megan
Smolenyak together with
Ancestry.com, one of the world's
leading online resources for family

free
'

history information. They'll
research the selected individual's
family history, while a DNA testing
service will provide a genetic
analysis. The results of both will be
revealed, along with that of the
other series participants, by
Professor Gates on the PBS broad-
cast of African American Lives 2.
HOW TO ENTER:
Interested individuals
must apply online at
www.pbs.org/aalives. Online appli-
cations must be received by 6:00

p.m. on Friday, May 4, 2007. Any
applications submitted after this
date and time will not be consid-
ered. Finalists will receive a one-
year subscription to Ancestry.com.
The winning applicant will be noti-
fied and announced the week of
May 28, 2007. In addition to their
name, age, gender, and contact
information, applicants will be
asked to tell the judges about them-
selves and their family, and why
they would make the ideal candi-
date for the series.

Upon submitting the online appli-
cation, individuals will receive an
e-mail confirmation with a unique
identification number. Applicants
must attach this number along with
their name to a photograph of them-
selves and mail it to: African
American Lives 2, 305 West
Broadway, Suite 144, New York,
NY 10013. Photographs must be
postmarked no later than Monday,
May 7. Applications are not com-
plete until the production team
receives an individual's photograph.

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mno
3=

Ms. Perry's Free Press Page 9

April 26 May 2, 2007

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SWhat to do from social, volunteer, political and sports activities to self enrichment and the civic scene

Junior Ranger Day
Jacksonville's National Park and
State Park will be celebrating
"Junior Ranger Day" on Saturday,
April 28th. A Timucuan Trail State
and National Parks Junior Ranger
badge can be earned when children
visit Kingsley Plantation, located
off Heckscher Dr. / A1A and
Ribualt Club and complete an activ-
ity booklet. For information and
scheduling call (904) 251-3537.

Operation "Shred-it"
On Saturday, April 28th, Office
Depot and Crime Stoppers USA are
joining forces to help Americans
fight identity theft. Consumers are
invited to bring all the unwanted
personal documents they can carry
to the Shred-it Mobile trucks on site
at 9230 Arlington Expressway
(across from Regency Square) in
Jacksonville. This community
shred event is part of a national
campaign and is taking place at 100
Office Depots across the United
States.

The Jax Children's
Chorus Concert
Join the Jacksonville Children's
Chorus will be holding their annual
Spring Concert on April 29th, at
6:00 PM in the Jacoby Symphony
Hall of the Times Union Center fro
Performing Arts. Special guest
artist Return2Zero will join concert
with its award winning a cappella
quartet from Orlando, FL.

Bow Wow "Price
Of Fame Tour"
On Sunday, April 29th, the
Jacksonville Memorial Arena will
feature Bow Wow's "Price of Fame
Tour." The star studded line up to
include Huey, Shay, Lloyd, 3-D,
The Crime Mob and Bow Wow.
Don't miss this electrifying concert.
For ticket information contact:
Ticketmaster.com.

An Evening of Taste
An evening of fine wine, food and
good times benefiting Children's
Home Society of Florida will be

held at Matthew's of San Marco
Sunday, April 29 from 5:30 8 p.m.
Guests will delight in an intimate
setting with fine wine as they sam-
ple some of Chef Matthew
Medure's most exclusive menu
items. They can also bid on silent
auction packages while enjoying
the sounds of a harpist.
Due to space limitations, please
reserve your tickets. For more
information or tickets, contact
Nanette Vallejos at 493.7739.

Bobby Norfolk p
resents "Stories from
Around the World"
Myths, folktales, legends, poetry
and fairytales will be dramatized by
Bobby Norfolk in a one-man show
on Sunday, April 29th from 1:30-
2:30 PM at the Hicks Auditorium in
the Jacksonville (Main) Library.
This dazzling performance promis-
es to be a crowd pleasing favorite
for all ages. For more information
call (904) 630-1627.

Break! "The Urban
Funk Spectacular"
On Thursday, May 3rd, Break!
The Urban Funk Spectacular is
coming to the Florida Theatre.
Break, is the cutting edge, unortho-
dox dance at the dawn of the 20th
Century, specializing in break danc-
ing, locking, popping and power
tumbling. Show time 7:30 PM For
ticket information call (904) 355-
2787.
The Art of
Spoken Word
Held the first Thursday of every
month, 7 p.m.The lobby of the Ritz
is transformed into a stage for poets
and poetry lovers of all ages. Show
off your own talent for verse, or
just come, listen and soak up the
creative atmosphere. The free art
forum will be held on Thursday,
May 3rd. Call 632-5555 for more
information.

Pride Meeting
The next PRIDE Book Club
Meeting will be held on Friday,
May 4th to discuss "Third and A

Do you know someone who is constantly doing for oth-
ers or putting someone else's needs before their own? A
friend that goes beyond the norm? A tireless volunteer?
Nominate him or her for the Unsung Hero spotlight and
they could win a $50.00 Gift Certificate from Publix
Supermarkets and share their courageous and selfless sto-
ries with Jacksonville Free Press readers.

Mile: The Trials and Triumphs of
the Black Quarterback" by William
Rhoden. For more information e-
mail: felice@bellsouth.net.

First Friday Mixer
Join Jacksonville's largest social
and business networking group
Friday, May 4th from 6-9:00 PM
for the kick off of First Fridays
Remix each month at Tera Nova
(New World) located on the corner
of Philips Highway & Baymeadows
Rd. First Fridays will provide an
excellent environment for presenta-
tions, trade show exposure, net-
working and happy our fun. For
vendor, sponsor or reservation
information call (904) 962-7284.

COMTO Golf
Tournament
Get in the swing of things at the
Comto Golf Tournament Saturday,
May 5th from 1:00 PM. Event
activities: Captains Choice Golf,
Clubhouse, games, lessons and
awards, and a bar-b-que lunch held
at the Deerfield Lakes Golf Course.
Contact Joe Trottie at (904) 632-
5543 for reservations.

Youth Fishing Derby
Hooked on fishing, not on drugs!
On Saturday, May 5th, from 9:00
AM until 12:00 noon Huguenot
Park (located on 3rd St. between
16th and 19th) Jacksonville Beach
is hosting a Youth Fishing Day.
Children must be accompanied by
adult. This care FREE day of fun
will include free admission, free
bait, free use of rod and tackle, free
goodie bag, raffle, prizes and more.
For more information call (904)
573-4918.

Mental Health and
the Black Community
On Thursday, May 10th,
through Saturday, May 12th,
you're invited to join in a communi-
ty think tank which is free and open
to the public, to address Mental
Health and the Black Community.
With the theme: "Come Out and
Take Charge of Your Family, Your

Community & Your Health" this
concerted effort will include a
reception, workshops, a youth rally
and presentations. For scheduling,
location and other information con-
tact Steward Washington (904) 840-
8390.

Families First
Fashion Show
Linda Del Rio will emcee the
Families First Charity Luncheon
and Spring Fashion Show starring
local celebrities and other well
known personalities on Thursday,
May 10th, from noon until 1:30
PM at the Hyatt Regency on the
Jacksonville Riverfront. Proceeds
raised will help sponsor summer
camperships forl25 children living
within the community. Fashion
notables include: Kimberly
McKissick, Bishop A.C.
Richardson, Michael Stewart and
Rhodesia Butler. For more infor-
mation call(904) 358-0891, ext. 10.

FAMU Alumni Meeting
The Jacksonville Chapter of the
FAMU Alumni Association will
hold its monthly meeting at the Jean
Ribualt High School Band Room at
10:00 AM on May 12th. For more
information please call (904) 910-
7829.

Irrigation Tips &
Surviving the Drought
The Duval County Extension
Service will hold a class on irriga-
tion tips and surviving drought on
Thursday, May 17, 2007 from
10:00 am 1:00 pm at the Extension
Service located at 1010 N. McDuff
Ave. In times of drought, your irri-
gation system needs to be function-
ing. Staffers will try to all answer
all your questions at this workshop
on irrigation and also teach you
how to retrofit your system in your
landscape beds. They will also
teach you some plant survival tips
and techniques. Light refreshments
served. To register, please call 904-
387-8850.

Annual Miracle on
Ashley Street
The Annual Miracle on Ashley
Street, will be hosted this year by
actor Tommy Ford featuring
celebrity Chefs and Servers to ben-
efit the Clara White Mission. The
event is located at the Mission, 613
West Ashley Street. Have a buffet
gourmet lunch prepared by jack-
sonville's finest chefs. It will be
held May 18th, from 11:00 AM to
2:00 PM. For more information
call (904) 354-4162.

Dem. Blk Caucus of FL
25th State Convention
Join the Democratic Black Caucus
of Florida on May 18th-19th, as
they celebrate the 25th Annual State
Convention to be held at the
Holiday Inn at Jacksonville Airport
14670 Duval Rd. The theme:
"Democrats Attaining Self-
Empowerment through the Black
Caucus Experience. Keynote
Speaker will be Congresswoman
Corrine Brown. For more informa-
tion about the convention contact
Sandra Glover at (904) 757-2050 or
e-mail: spglover@bellsouth.net.

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-Parties
-Special Occasion
-Retirement
-Banquets

JAXPARKS Holding Camp Registration
The city of Jacksonville Department of Parks, Recreation, entertainment,
Entertainment and Conservation- JaxParks will hold general registration
periods beginning April 27th at 8:00 AM for summer camp programs.
Applications accepted at 851 N. Market Street. To qualify for pre regis-
tration the child must be returning to the camp location from 2006.
General registration is open to all interested participants on first come, first
serve basis. Call Kristen Key at (904) 630-2709 for further details

Sportsfield Renovation Grant Available
The national nonprofit organization KaBOOM is looking for Jacksonville
area football fields in need of refurbishing. The one day renovation
includes laying sod/grass seed, painting lines, and goal posts, installing
fencing, and constructing a variety of side projects utilizing 120 volun-
teers. For qualifications, applications and information contact Alejandro
Cardemil at (202) 464-6066, or acardemil@kaboom.org.

Do You Have an Event for Aroud Town?
The Jacksonville Free Press is please to print your public serv-
ice announcements and coming events free of charge, news
deadline is Monday at 6 p.m. by the week you would like your
information to be printed. Information can be sent via email,
fax, brought into our office or mailed in. Please be sure to
include the 5W's who, what, when, where, why and you must
include a contact number.
Email JFreePress@aol.com Fax (904) 765-3803
Mail: Coming Events Jacksonville Free Press
903 W. Edgewood Ave. Jacksonville, FL 32203

Purpose Conference
2007 Birthing Destiny
On May 18th-19th, Get ready to
hear a prophetic word from Gods
messenger, Dr. Cindy Trimm. The
conference will be held at the
Bethelite Christian Conference
Center on Arlington Rd. from 7:00
PM Friday, to 2:00 PM Saturday.
For more details call 1-(877)-642-
2962.

COMTO Jax
Bowl-A-Thon 2007
The COMTO Jax Bowl-A-Thon
2007 event is for all ages. It will be
held at Bowl America located
11141 Beach Blvd. on May 19th,
and will begin at 1:00 PM. This
activity is hosted by the Conference
of Minority Transportation Official
Jacksonville Chapter. There will be
door prizes and bowling team
awards. For more information con-
tact Endya M. Cummings at (904)
630-3197.

Links Old School Gala
The Bold City Chapter of Links,
Inc. will host their annual Old
School Gala on Saturday, May
19th at Alltell Stadium. The annual
dinner and dance includes costume
and prizes in a festive atmosphere
surrounded to the tunes of Motown.
For more information, contact any
Bold City Links member or give us
a call at the Free Press at 634-1993.

Casting Call for FCCJ
Summer Musical
Attention actors, singers, dancers
and musicians, auditions for FCCJ's
South Campus Summer Musical
Theatre Experience will be held
May 20th-22nd, in the production
of "Once Upon a Mattress". No
experience required; but partici-
pants must be entering the 8th grade
or higher in the 2007-08 school
year. The FCCJ South Campus is
located 11901 Beach Blvd. in the
Nathan H. Wilson Center for the
Arts, for scheduling information
call (904) 646-2222.

20th Kuumba Festival
The 20th Kuumba Festival will be
held May 25-28, 2007 including a
Community Health Fair, Kick Off
at The Ritz Theater, annual Parade
of Kings & Queens, Opening
Celebration, Gospel In The Park ,
Workshops, Marketplace Vendors
& food. For more information visit
the website: www.kuumbafest.org.

Fresh Blueberry
Canning Class
The Jacksonville Canning Center
will be offering a hands on class in
canning fresh blueberries on
Thursday May 24th, and Friday
May 25th, from 9:00 AM to noon.
Class size is limited. Register
before May 18th, for information
call (904) 387-8860.

A Kuumba
Festival Program
Come hear Mrs. Mary Fears, a
professional storyteller, genealogist
and author of "Civil War and Living
History: Reenactments about
People of Color." In a special per-
formance Friday May 26th, at
10:00 AM in the Karpeles
Manuscript Library Museum locat-
ed: 101 W. 1st Street (across from
Bethel Baptist Institutional
Church). This program is free and
open to the public, and is part of the
20th Annual Kuumba African/
African American Cultural Arts and
Music Festival. For information
call Carolyn Williams at (904) 620-
1866.

Whitney & Bobby Divorce Finalized
SA judge deemed April
1 24th the day that Whitney
,"', Houston's divorce from
Bobby Brown will be final,
and Access Hollywood has
obtained Houston's filed
'. |divorce papers.
The divorce is listed as
"uncontested" in the papers. Houston has not requested child support at this
time. Neither Whitney nor Bobby will receive spousal support.
Property division is listed as "no community property."
Houston will have physical and legal custody of the couple's daughter
Bobbi Kristina, with dad Bobby having a "reasonable right of visitation."
Joe Frazier Drops Lawsuit Against Daughter
Former heavyweight champion Joe Frazier has withdrawn a lawsuit filed
against his daughter after she promised to help him find his missing
records.
As previously reported, the 63-year-old ex-boxer filed the suit in
Philadelphia Common Pleas Court this month accusing his daughter,
Jacquelyn Frazier-Lyde, of refusing to return contracts and other financial
records she kept when she managed her father's legal affairs.
A lawyer for Frazier-Lyde said Thursday that the files in question never
left "Smokin' Joe's" North Philadelphia gym.
"I talked to my father today and he asked me how I was doing and I told
him that I loved him," Frazier-Lyde said at a press conference promoting
her campaign for city judge.
Frazier's lawyer said he reluctantly agreed to drop the suit at his client's
request, although he vowed to refile it if Frazier-Lyde does not comply.
"This is about a father's love for his daughter," lawyer Michael P. Kelly
said. "We're giving her a chance to live up to her word. If we're not fully
satisfied, I'll be right back, quicker than a Joe Frazier left hook."
The 45-year-old Frazier-Lyde, a married mother of three, is running for
a seat on the city's Municipal Court in the May 15 Democratic primary.

Are black men dressed as women just a drag?

By LaMont Jones
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Demeaning images of black
women didn't begin with those con-
jured by the words of disgraced
shock jock Don Imus.
There's the rap music industry --
the new focus of public ire -- and a
decades-long history of black men
dressing in drag to portray loud,
offensive and usually dark-skinned
and obese black women.
On television, Flip Wilson's sassy
Geraldine Jones had audiences
laughing in the '70s. In the '90s,
there was Jamie Foxx's cockeyed,
man-chasing Wanda Wayne on "In
Living Color" and Martin
Lawrence's sarcastic, ghetto-fabu-
lous Sheneneh Jenkins on his sit-
com "Martin."
In recent years, the silver screen
has brought negative stereotypical
images of black women to a wider
audience. Mr. Lawrence has played
Big Momma twice in movies
named after the stubborn, feisty
matriarch, and Eddie Murphy's lat-
est black female impersonation is
the super-sized, mean-spirited
Rasputia in "Norbit."
Meanwhile, Tyler Perry has
adapted his popular stage plays fea-
turing Madea Simmons to cinema.
Madea may be considered benign
alongside the current man-as-black-
woman images, but the God-fearing
grandma is still a fat, gun-toting

Strahan's Wife Bargain Sells His Belongings

i-k

Michael Strahan is shown with his new girlfriend Stefani Vara and his
ex wife Jean Strahan is shown right.

Could you imagine yourself walk-
ing into a 30-room, $3.6 million
home and walking off with $300
dresses for $20 a pop? Well, that's
what happened to countless
Montclair residents yesterday as
they rummaged through Michael
Strahan's home during a yard sale

l

held by none other than his "strug-
gling" ex-wife, Jean (not pictured).
So what else was Jean selling? You
name it! Strahan's game-worn
gloves for $50, two of Michael's
televisions for $100 total, picture
frames that used to hold loving
memories for $2 a shot and count-

less other things from jersey's to
complimentary Pro Bowl handbags.
"I get to cheer for Mike on his
TV," said Jamal Callaway, proud
owner of two new TV's.
At this point it's all just laughable.
Could Jean possibly be struggling
to the point she has to hold a yard
sale and sell $100 items for $10?
"She's way overpriced," com-
plained Roy Dawson, a self-con-
fessed "garage junkie" from
Bloomfield. "And you could tell
she obsessively bought clothes.
That would have caused a problem
in the marriage right there."
This may rank in the top 10 all-
time worst and most public
divorces. Jean has gone out of her
way to destroy the character of her
ex-husband and has done so at any
cost -- even opening their home, the
most private of all things, to the
public. How this woman was
awarded anything close to what she
got is beyond me.

Eddie Murphy put on padding
and dresses for "Norbit."
cusser.
African-American women, says
black author Jill Nelson, are fed up
and must speak up with their wal-
lets.
"These images of us aren't rooted
in reality but are exaggerated,
demeaning composites," she writes
in the May issue of Essence maga-
zine. "When did it become accept-
able to mock hefty brown-skinned
women and exalt light-skinned
women with thighs the diameter of
a wrist?
"It's time for those of us in the
vast middle to say 'Enough!' We
should demand with our purchasing
power at the box office and in the
marketplace that black women be
portrayed in all our shapes, sizes
and colors, not as stereotypes. It's
the 21st century and past time for us
to reclaim our images."

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